Reading machine



June5, 1923.

B. A. FISKE READING MACHINE Filed Jan. 59. 1922 I NVENTOR ATTORNEYPatented June 5, 1923.

UNITED STATES P A T BRADLEY A. FISKE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OFGOLUMBIA.

READING MACHINE.

Application filed January 30, 1922. Serial No. 532,866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BRADLEY A. FISKE, a

citizen of the United States, residingat Washington, in the District ofColumbia (whose ost-ofiice address is Stoneleigh Court, ashington, D.0.), have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ReadingMachines, of which the following is a fu 1, clear, and exactspecification.

- My invention relates to various new and useful improvements in readingmachines, of the type disclosed in my Patent No. 1,411,008, dated March28, 1922, wherein reading matter reduced to characters of microscopicsize is carried in parallel columns on a strip or sheet, and is adaptedto be brought successively into the field of view, a single lens being.employed and adapted to be brought into line with the successive columnsof characters.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction and operationof such readin machines. It particularly. provides a bhnder adapted tobe moved to a position in front of one of the readers eyes, whereby theother eye may be employed at the lens, thus allowing both eyes to bekept open during the reading operation, said blinder being preferablypivoted so as to be brought in front of either the right or left eye,and thus permitting the reader to use either eye for reading purposes. Ifind that by thus providing a device by which both eyes may be kept openand in which the reading may be done with either eye, the machine may beused with a minimum of muscular and optical fatigue. Furthermore bypivoting the blinder it may be moved into position parallel with theframe, so as to be out of the way when the device is not in use. Mypresent improvements also provide improved mechanism for properlymanipulating the strip or sheet to bring the characters successivelyinto view, said mechanism being of simple construction, of effectiveoperation and maintaining the strip or sheet always flat and accuratelylocated in the optical field.

In order that the present improvement may be better understood,attention is directed to the accompanying drawings forming part of thisspecification, and in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improvedreading machine showing a strip of paper therein, with the miscroscopiccharacters arranged in five columns, the lens being removed for purposeof clearness.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3, a vertical sectionalview on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4, a section on the line 4-4 ofFig. 2.

In all of the above views, corresponding parts are represented by thesame numerals.

The frame 1 is generally rectangular, being formed preferably ofaluminum, so as to be as light as possible, and being cut away at 2 and3 so as to further reduce weight. Secured to the front of the frame atits upper portion is a front plate 4, said plate being formed with anopening or slot 5 therein, long enough to include all the columns ofcharacters and wide enough to include several lines of characters, thewidth being only limited by the effective field of the lens. Ordinarily,the width of the slot 5 is substantially equal to the width of one ofthe columns of characters.

Behind the front plate 5 is located a frame section 6 and between thetwo extends the paper strip or she t 7 having the microscopic charactersthereon in parallel col- The channel 8 in which the strip passes may beformed either in the section 6 or plate 4, preferably the former, thischannel permitting the strip to be fed upwards freely, while at the sametime keeping it perfectly fiat behind the slot 5 and in the opticalfield of the lens. To feed the strip 7, I employ a small roller 9covered preferably with rubber or similar material,

which bears against the strip to feed it fric- V tionally, when saidroller is rotated by the finger, as indicated in Fig. 3. Preferably thebearings 10 for the feed roller are a little elongated to permit theroller to. move slightly toward and away from the strip,

whereby the pressure of the finger in rotating the roller will iLlSOsqueeze the roller in close contact with the strip to give the neededfriction. The strip may be intro duced into the machine eitherdownwardly or upwardly into the channel 8, and extends between the frontplate 4 and roller 9, and along the front of the frame, as shown in 5lens 11 may be supported in any suitable way, but preferably by a holder12 on a frame 13, anda's described in my application filed November 20,1920, the lens is not only adjustable within its holder to secure theproper focus, but the holder is adjustable across the frame'to bring thelens into line with the desired column of characters.

Pivoted centrally to the frame section 6 is a sheet metal blinder 14.This blinder may ,be swung to a horizontal position, either to the rightor left and held in its position by friction. By means of this blinder,both eyes of the reader may be kept open; and by changing its positionfrom one side to the other, the reader may change from one eye to theother in case of fati e. vWhen this blinder is in a midway positionparallel with l ,the frame 1, the device will be sufficiently compact tocarry in the pocket, being no larger than some forms of spectacle cases.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. In a reading machine, the combination of a frame, a front platesecured to the frame, and between which and the frame is arranged thestrip or sheet carryingthe' reading matter, said front plate bein ingmatter will be observed, a lens supported by the frame for viewing the,reading matter through said slot, and means for feeding the strip orsheet to move the reading matter with respect to the lens, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a readin machine, the combination of a frame, a ront plate securedto the frame and between which and the frame is arranged the strip orsheet carryin the reading matter, said front plate ing formed with aslot through which the reading matter will be observed, a lens supportedby the frame for viewing the reading matter through said slot, and afriction roller adapted to be turned and simultaneously pressed intofrictional engagement with the strip or sheet for moving the readingmatter with respect to the lens, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this twentieth day of January,1922.

BRADLEY A. FISKE. V Witnesses:

A. J. Fun, A. W. MnLcHnn.

